Bloodfang
by sol-li
Summary: After killing a demon, Inuyasha begins to feel ill -- and Kaede reveals that he's been infected by the lethal Bloodfang, a sickness that will kill him if they can't find a cure.
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE  
  
*  
  
Wind rattled the leaves and rustled the grass. The sky was overcast, veiled over with clouds, and a storm was gathering to the east.   
  
Under a ragged bush, a fox crept against the trunk of a tree. Its nose twitched. A demon was coming closer. Not a little one, but a huge, dangerous one. One that smelled of blood -- its own and other creatures'.  
  
A great lumbering shape lurched from the trees. It was wobbling slightly, and its breath came in sharp snorts. Mad eyes turned slowly around the clearing; it threw its head back and roared.  
  
*  
  
"All I'm saying is," Kagome repeated peevishly, "you didn't have to actually scare the guy like that. I mean, did you really HAVE to tell him, in detail, what you were going to do to him if he didn't tell us? Especially if you never meant to do it?"  
  
Inuyasha just muttered, "Huh."  
  
As usual when Kagome and Inuyasha were disagreeing, Sango and Miroku were keeping silent and looking away. Each one had tried to mediate in previous arguments, only to have a snarling half-demon telling them in no uncertain terms to mind their own business.   
  
Shippo was napping in the basket of Kagome's bicycle, with Myoga somewhere in his tail. Miroku sometimes wondered how Shippo could nap through the loud arguments that Kagome and Inuyasha often had. I suppose he's just used to them, he thought with a sigh. Hopefully the little fox wasn't getting a warped idea of how people acted. After all, to some degree he considered Inuyasha a role model.  
  
"So, you just want to scare people into fits?" Kagome demanded.  
  
"It worked, didn't it?" Inuyasha snapped.   
  
"After the guy fainted. I thought he was dead at first."  
  
"I've never SCARED anyone to death. Besides, he was a little rat -- a thief, a liar, and possibly a murderer."  
  
"Emphasis on 'possibly'!"  
  
The argument continued until they reached a clearing suitable for a camp. Miroku seated himself and began to pile firewood. Sango dismounted from Kirara, and for a moment he regarded the nearness of her long legs. He reluctantly decided not to. She was still holding her boomerang.  
  
Inuyasha sat opposite Miroku with the Tetsusaiga in his lap. "Are you gonna stop me every time I wanna question someone?" he demanded from Kagome.  
  
"No, just so long as you're reasonable about it," Kagome said.  
  
Inuyasha muttered something unintelligible.  
  
"Kagome," Sango said, shaking her water flask. "How far away is Kaede's village?"  
  
"Not that far, actually," Kagome said. "An hour, maybe two."  
  
"Are you going back to your own time?" Miroku asked.  
  
"No, my school's on break," Kagome said, digging through her backpack.  
  
"That's a first," Inuyasha muttered.   
  
"I'll probably spend a few hours with my family to let them know I'm okay. And to get some laundry done," Kagome said thoughtfully. "Ever since that little incident with the water ticks, I haven't been that crazy about doing my laundry in ponds." She pulled several rather battered packages of ramen out of her backpack. "Sango, how much water do we have?"  
  
Sango shook her water flask. "Not much."  
  
Inuyasha had crept closer to Kagome. "There's a well over near that big willow," he said, eyeing the ramen.  
  
Kagome picked up a small kettle. "Well, I'll be back in a few minutes."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	2. Bloodfang Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE  
  
*  
  
Kagome's foot slid on a slippery rock, and she almost fell into a ravine full of vines and sharp stones. The kettle dropped from her hand and bounced down. Gritting her teeth, she inched past the rocks and picked it up again.  
  
I don't have time for this, she thought. It was getting dark out, and the forests near Kaede's village weren't that safe after dark. Especially without Inuyasha. Who was the other reason for hurrying; he got crabby when he was hungry, as Kagome knew from personal experience.  
  
Now, where was the willow tree? Kagome scrambled over the ravine, almost slipping on the rocks.  
  
Finally she came across the well. It was grown over with moss, and the wooden frame was sagging dangerously. It didn't look like it had been used for a very, very long time.   
  
I hope this is safe, she thought, wrinkling her nose.  
  
Kagome dipped the pot into the well. The water LOOKED clear. If worst came to worst, she could just dump the water and they would all fast until they came to Kaede's. She carefully fitted the lid on top, and turned to leave.  
  
And froze. She could feel eyes watching her.  
  
"Inuyasha?" she called.  
  
A low growl came from the bushes.   
  
"Kirara?" A quaver came into Kagome's voice. "Who is it?"  
  
A blunt muzzle poked out of the bushes. A great paw crashed down on the grass, leaving a trail of blood.  
  
Kagome dropped the pot and fumbled for her bow. The smell of blood was making her want to gag, but she didn't dare let it happen. "Inuyasha!" she shouted again. He wasn't that far away -- surely he could hear her calls for help...  
  
The creature lumbered into sight. It was a bear -- a huge bear, with matted, stained fur and claws longer than Kagome's hands. It stared at her with mad eyes, as if it didn't know what she was.   
  
"Don't come any closer!" Kagome nocked an arrow and aimed it between the bear's glowing eyes.   
  
It didn't seem to notice the bow. Panting, it lurched toward her.  
  
The arrow struck it in the ear, but it didn't seem to notice.   
  
Kagome nocked another arrow, trying to keep her hands from shaking. What was wrong with this thing? The second arrow struck it in the eye; it roared in pain, clawing at its face. Then it swiped at her.  
  
Kagome barely had time to step back, but the bear's swing was wild. Her bow snapped in half as she tumbled against a boulder. A long scratch ran down her leg.   
  
"KAGOME!"  
  
A blur of white and red descended from the trees. "Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted again. "Are you all right?"  
  
"I'm fine!" Kagome shouted. "Just scratched!"  
  
Inuyasha turned to the bear and drew the Tetsusaiga. "Back off, beast," he growled.  
  
"Inuyasha, be careful!" Kagome shouted. "I think it's gone nuts."  
  
"No problem! I can handle something as big and dumb as this," Inuyasha said. He leaped up at the bear, slashing at its throat.  
  
The bear roared again and batted at the half-demon. Inuyasha crashed to the ground, clutching at his shoulder. But he had slashed the beast's throat; it staggered, gurgling and coughing blood and trying to claw at Inuyasha. He jumped back, smirking. "Not so tough now, huh?" he shouted.  
  
More blood gushed from the bear. It groaned once more and fell to the ground.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome said, limping toward him. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Just a cut on my arm," Inuyasha said. "Nothing important."  
  
Miroku and Sango burst out of the underbrush, somewhat out of breath. "A demon bear," Miroku said, startled.   
  
"Hold still," Kagome said, wiping a few drops of the bear's blood from Inuyasha's face. "Is that unusual?"  
  
"Very," Miroku said, approaching the enormous carcass. "They rarely attack like that. Could it have had a jewel shard, if it chose to fight for no reason?"  
  
"No, it doesn't. I would have noticed immediately. Inuyasha, stop squirming."  
  
Inuyasha grimaced. "Well, whatever was wrong with it, its problems are all over now." He flexed his arm. "No big deal, no serious harm done."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	3. Bloodfang Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO  
  
*  
  
Long after they had left the well, Kagome still smelled the blood from the bear. Miroku had taken a look at her leg -- ignoring growls from Inuyasha -- and said that it wasn't serious. Her bow had taken most of the blow. She fit the broken pieces together, then tossed them way.  
  
"Was there something special about that bow, Kagome?" Sango asked.  
  
"No, not really," Kagome said glumly. "I tend to lose them pretty fast. I just feel kind of naked without one." Her leg ached a little, but at least Kaede probably had some ointment to take the pain away.   
  
Myoga hopped up onto Kagome's bike handles. "That's hardly surprising. You've become quite proficient in your archery, which is remarkable considering how short a time you've been practicing."  
  
"Thanks, Myoga," Kagome said, feeling a little better.   
  
"It doesn't hurt that you blow stuff up with your arrows," Shippo chimed in.  
  
The sky grew dimmer as they came closer to Kaede's village. Inuyasha was walking up ahead, apparently lost in his thoughts. But Kagome noticed that his shoulders were hunched up, and he was pointedly not entering the conversation -- not even when Shippo made a joke about him.  
  
I wonder if he's upset about something, Kagome thought. But she couldn't remember anything that might have gotten him mad. Besides, Inuyasha tended to lash out when he was angry.   
  
"Ah, smoke," Miroku murmured. He pointed at a thin trail of smoke in the distance. "We're nearly there, it seems."  
  
"About time," Inuyasha said flatly.  
  
Miroku frowned. "Inuyasha, are you feeling all right?"  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"Well, you've been breathing rather heavily for awhile now. And you've-"  
  
Inuyasha stumbled down onto one knee. But he was back on his feet before Kagome reached him.   
  
"Lord Inuyasha," Myoga called, concerned. "How long have you been unwell?"  
  
"I'm FINE," Inuyasha repeated.  
  
"I don't think you are," Miroku said, rolling up his sleeves. He handed his staff to Sango. "Inuyasha, take off your kimono."  
  
"Nothing doing."  
  
Miroku rubbed his chin with his bead-wrapped hand. "If you prefer," he said with a smile, "I can have Kagome give you a certain command, and take your kimono off when you're down."  
  
"Just try it," Inuyasha said ominously. But at Kagome's urging, he shrugged off his kimono, leaving his chest and shoulders bare. "But it's a waste of time. I doesn't hurt or nothin'."  
  
"I'll be the judge of that," Miroku said. As he pulled the kimono away, Kagome gasped. The gash in Inuyasha's arm hadn't healed. It was reddened and slightly swollen, as if it had gotten infected.   
  
"My my," Miroku said, frowning. "Inuyasha, this doesn't look very good. Given that you're half demon, I would have expected it to have closed by now." He prodded at the wound.  
  
Inuyasha jerked away. "Hey!"  
  
"I thought you said it didn't hurt."  
  
"It didn't, until you started poking at it!" Inuyasha pulled his kimono back on. "Look, I'm fine, okay? I've gotten much worse than a little cut like that." He strode on ahead, even faster than before.   
  
Kagome watched him for a moment. "I think I'll ride on ahead with him, if that's all right," she said to Sango and Miroku. "Myoga, Shippo, hang on tight."  
  
She began riding after the sulking half-demon. Inuyasha barely looked at her when she caught up with him. "What is it now?" he said darkly. "If Miroku wants me to take my kimono off again, he's outta luck. He says that a little too often anyway."  
  
"I don't think he's much interested in you," Shippo pointed out.  
  
"Inuyasha, I'm riding ahead to Kaede's house," Kagome said. "You wanna ride?"  
  
Inuyasha stopped for a moment, thinking it over. Then he hopped onto the back of her bike, settled himself down, and said, "Okay, I'm ready."  
  
The sun was setting behind the clouds, turning them a deep gold reflected in the lake. It would have been a pretty sight, if Kagome could have only concentrated on it. Behind her, Inuyasha was breathing hard again, with his eyes closed. His pointed dog ears were drooping.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Shippo called. "Are you sure you're okay? You look kinda sick."  
  
"Leave me alone, runt," Inuyasha mumbled.   
  
"Lord Inuyasha!" Myoga said reprovingly. "I understand that you feel unwell, but to take your frustrations out on others is rather unseemly."  
  
"Stow it, flea."  
  
They rounded a bend full of drooping trees and splashed through a puddle before reaching the outskirts of the village. Inuyasha raised his head as they passed through the village, drawing a few curious stares. He rested his chin lightly on Kagome's shoulder, as they stopped in front of the hut where High Priestess Kaede lived.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	4. Bloodfang Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE  
  
*  
  
"Hmph. So we're back here," Inuyasha said darkly as he jumped off the bike. "Don't know why we keep coming here."  
  
"Because even you need some down time," Kagome said, putting Shippo and Myoga on her shoulder.   
  
"Do not."  
  
There was a rustling inside the house, and a stocky, gray-haired old woman stepped outside. Her one eye blinked through the dim light. "Ah, Kagome, Inuyasha, and little Shippo. It has been a long while since ye came here. Where is young Miroku?"  
  
"He's bringing up the rear with Sango," Kagome said, picking up her backpack and nearly tipping over.  
  
"Sango? Ah, the young lady who joined ye in your travels."  
  
Kagome began explaining more about why they had come back to the village; Shippo yawned and tried to fall asleep on her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, Kagome noticed Inuyasha was fidgeting and hunching over again. The shadows made it hard to tell, but she thought his face was twisting a little.  
  
"Be ye all right, Inuyasha?" Kaede asked quietly. Her eye was fixed on Inuyasha's face.  
  
Inuyasha stopped moving completely. Kagome quickly said, "He got a cut on his shoulder when we had a run-in with a demon. It's gotten kind of nasty-looking."  
  
Inuyasha gave her an equally nasty-looking stare. "It's nothing. I feel perfectly all right."  
  
Kaede looked grim. Inuyasha was a spirited youth -- perhaps TOO spirited for his own good. His hatred of his own weakness made him regard his own safety too casually. She had seen him try to fight his enemies after taking wounds that would have killed most others, human and demon alike, and not stopped until he collapsed. She still vividly remembered how she and Miroku had had to tie him up and throw him in a small hut, covered in demon seals...  
  
She continued watching Inuyasha when he and Kagome sat by her fire. Inuyasha was wrapped in his own thoughts, but Kagome was watching him with concern. Shippo was gorging himself on bowls of rice.  
  
Eventually Miroku, arrived with Sango; clearly neither of them was in a good mood. Miroku sat down by the fire. He had a noticeable bruise just below his eye; Kagome suspected that Sango had given it to him. "Inuyasha, has Kaede taken a look at your shoulder?"  
  
"No, she hasn't," Inuyasha snapped. "It's nothing to worry about."  
  
"Well, if tis truly nothing," Kaede said, coming behind him with a little pot, "then ye won't mind if I put some ungent on it, will ye?"  
  
"If 'ye' haven't noticed, I do mind!"  
  
"Take off ye clothing."  
  
"Not you too," Inuyasha grumbled. But under Kagome's urging he removed his top again. Kagome gasped; the cut was even redder and more swollen than before. And even though Inuyasha usually healed quickly, it hadn't even closed.  
  
"Yuck!" Shippo said. "What's wrong with it?"  
  
Kaede studied Inuyasha's shoulder gravely. "Were ye human, I would say this wound was becoming diseased." She probed at it, ignoring Inuyasha's hissing. "Yet ye have shown me sword wounds worse than this, and they healed with little trouble. What manner of demon gave this to ye?"  
  
"A great bear," Miroku said, leaning forward. "It attacked Kagome when she was getting water. Inuyasha killed it, but got that wound in the process. I tried to examine Inuyasha when I saw that he was in pain, but he wouldn't let me see much."  
  
"It doesn't even hurt that much," Inuyasha said loudly.  
  
"Ye are a terrible liar," Kaede said briskly. She dabbed a bit of the ointment on the shoulder wound. "Have ye any other injuries that need tending?"  
  
"I could use some cold water for this. She has very hard knuckles," Miroku said, pointing at his bruise.  
  
"You need cold water all over," Sango said ominously.  
  
"I will tend to ye later, wayward monk," Kaede said sternly, massaging the ointment into Inuyasha's skin. The half-demon was looking away from her, as if trying to pretend he wasn't letting her help.  
  
"The person you should REALLY be tending to is Kagome," Inuyasha said suddenly. "That bear clawed her leg, and she's been walking on it ever since."  
  
Kaede paused in her ministrations. "Kagome, are ye wounded as well?"  
  
"It's no big deal." Kagome stuck out her leg, and pointed at a thin red cut running down her calf. "I'd sort of forgotten about it."  
  
Kaede examined Kagome's leg. The lines in her face became deeper with concern. "Strange this is indeed," she murmured. "Inuyasha's wound is hardly deeper than Kagome's, yet hers is healing and his is not. I would have thought it the other way around. Was there aught strange about the bear that attacked ye?"  
  
"Well, it acted kinda weird," Kagome said, rubbing her leg. "It was sort of rolling, like it was dizzy. It was bleeding all over, too."  
  
Kaede slowly turned to look at Inuyasha. The young demon was hunched over by the fire, as if something in his stomach was causing him pain. Half-clothed, he looked young and somewhat vulnerable. A far cry from the image he wished to convey, Kaede thought. Something deep in her memory woke, a rumor she had once heard...  
  
"What are you staring at, hag?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"Considering your problem, Inuyasha," Kaede said slowly. "What I have seen reminds me of something I heard long ago." She moved over to Inuyasha. "Lay on your belly near the fire, and let me see your back."  
  
Inuyasha reluctantly sprawled out on the floor, with his chin resting on his fist. Kaede brushed his long white hair out of the way, and traced her finger between his shoulders. "I feared as much," she murmured. "Inuyasha has been touched by the Bloodfang."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	5. Bloodfang Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR  
  
*  
  
Kaede's quiet voice seemed to fill the room, then fell silent. Kagome had no idea what the Bloodfang was, but the way the old woman had said it made her feel cold. Inuyasha sat up quickly and scooted away from Kaede. "What's that?" he asked.  
  
Myoga popped out of Shippo's tail and began bouncing agitatedly around Kagome. "Oh dear me, oh dear me," he fretted. "The Bloodfang -- I hoped never to hear that again -- and I was just getting hungry. If I had tried -"  
  
"You would've gotten squashed like every other time," Inuyasha snapped.   
  
"Lord Inuyasha-"  
  
"The Bloodfang," Miroku said slowly. "I've heard something of it -- but not very much."  
  
"That is hardly surprising," Kaede said. "Few humans know aught of the Bloodfang. But its mark is on Inuyasha's back." She pointed between Inuyasha's shoulders. Kagome could see a thin red line running down his back.  
  
"What is this... Bloodfang you keep talking about?" Kagome interjected.   
  
"It is the scourge of all demons." Myoga stopped bouncing and seated himself on Kagome's knee. "A terrifying sickness that once ravaged half the demons in this land."  
  
Kagome's breath caught.   
  
"What I know is mostly what I was taught, when I was but a girl," Kaede said soberly. "I know that the Bloodfang is not merely a sickness, but a curse."  
  
"I've heard that story too," Miroku said. "They say that a monk with great spiritual powers created the Bloodfang, as a form of vengeance. While he was on a pilgrimage, several snake demons attacked his home and devoured his family. He returned several days later to find his children dead, poisoned and half-eaten.  
  
"In his grief, he sought revenge for their deaths. He hunted down the snake demons who had killed them, and cursed the demons with the Bloodfang. It's a sickness that destroys as many demons as possible, no matter what kind of demon the victim is -- fox, flea, dog or any other kind. It didn't kill all of them -- perhaps half of the demons it infected. And it showed up in a blood-red mark like a serpent's fang on the victim's back.   
  
"Eventually the disease died out, partly because the carcasses of the infected demons were burned or thrown into the sea. I thought it was something of the past. Certainly I haven't heard of anyone having it for a very long time."   
  
"That's terrible!" Kagome said. "Just because he was angry at a few demons..."  
  
"Aye, twas evil," Kaede said. "Yet those with power often do not use it wisely.  
  
Miroku glanced over at Inuyasha. "As far as I know, the Bloodfang was spread when one demon touched another. When you were clawed by that bear, it must have given the Bloodfang to you before it died..."  
  
"Correct," Myoga announced. "Which means that if I, Shippo or Kirara had touched Lord Inuyasha... which, thankfully, we did not-"  
  
Inuyasha sat up sharply. "What about Kagome? She was scratched too. Does she have the Bloodfang too?"  
  
"Be still, Inuyasha," Kaede said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Ye clearly know little of the Bloodfang if ye think that Kagome is endangered. True, she was touched by the same claws that infected ye. But she is human. And the nature of the Bloodfang was that it would not harm any human -- only demons. That is why ye have a raw wound on your shoulder, while her leg is healing."  
  
Kagome kept her eyes on Inuyasha. A cold, sick feeling had crept into her stomach as the news sank in. The half-demon was crouched by the fireside, his eyes fixed on the flames. He was pretending not to listen, but Kagome knew he was listening to every word.   
  
"Inuyasha is only half demon," Sango said quickly. "Could that help?"  
  
"I'm afraid not," Myoga said. He bowed his tiny head. "The Bloodfang killed approximately half of the demons it infected. But Lord Inuyasha... you should know that no half-demon survived."  
  
Inuyasha stared at Myoga for a moment, and Kagome thought she saw a flash of fear in his eyes. Then he forced a smirk and said, "Hah. I guess there's gotta be a first time for everything."  
  
"Be not too confident, Inuyasha," Kaede said quietly. "This is no light matter, nor is it a matter of strength alone."  
  
Shippo had dropped his bowl of rice, and had been listening intently to the conversation. The others had almost forgotten that he was there. Now he leaped toward Inuyasha.  
  
"Shippo, no!" Miroku lunged forward and caught the tiny fox by his tail.  
  
"Lemme go!" Shippo wailed, struggling.  
  
"Shippo, you can't touch Inuyasha. If you do, you'll have the Bloodfang as well."  
  
Shippo wiped at his eyes. "But-but..."  
  
Kagome gathered Shippo in a hug. "What's gonna happen to Inuyasha?" he said, clinging to her. "He's not gonna die, is he?"   
  
"There's no way I'll give in to some doddering monk's curse without a fight," Inuyasha said in a low voice, standing up quickly. "Don't you worry, Shippo. Just wait and see."  
  
But Kaede's face was grave. "Mayhap ye have strength enough to resist the Bloodfang, Inuyasha. If any half-demon might, I think ye might. And we shall all do what we can to help ye."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	6. Bloodfang Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE  
  
*  
  
Kaede's words clung to Kagome's mind all that night. Kagome stayed by Inuyasha's side for the rest of the evening, but he barely spoke to her. In fact, he barely spoke to anyone.  
  
The stars were shining through the window, and a soft summer breeze seeped in the doorway. Kagome lay awake, with Sango beside her and Shippo between them. Shippo's eyes were swollen, and every now and then he whimpered in his sleep.  
  
He's thinking about Inuyasha... she thought. She stroked his head absently.  
  
The half-demon was curled on a pallet in the corner. Kagome could hear his heavy breathing; for a moment she was tempted to go to him. But he hated to be seen when he was weakened. For as long as she could remember, he hadn't even gotten sick; he'd collapsed a few times when he was really hurt, but he hadn't gotten so much as a cold.  
  
She rolled over, trying not to remember what Myoga had said. No half-demon had survived the Bloodfang.   
  
In the corner, Inuyasha stared off into the darkness with glowing eyes.  
  
*  
  
"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Miroku asked.  
  
"I'll be fine," Sango said, sitting on Kirara's back. She took a bundle of food from the monk. "It's not far, anyway. If you need Shippo or Kirara, you can just take Kagome's bi-cycle."  
  
"You forgot me!" Myoga squeaked from the demon-cat's back.  
  
"Or you," Sango amended. "Come on, Shippo. We need to get going."  
  
Kagome came out of Kaede's hut with Shippo on her shoulder. Shippo was sniffling into a scrap of cloth. He leaped onto Kirara's back, and the demon-cat raced away into the woods.  
  
Miroku sighed. He felt badly for Shippo. The little fox-demon had already joined Inuyasha and Kagome by the time Miroku had met them, but Kagome had given him the basics of how they had met. Shippo had been newly orphaned, and Inuyasha helped him avenge his father's death, then allowed him to come along.   
  
Miroku had lost his own father when he was even younger than Shippo, and he knew how traumatic it would have been if Mushin had died then. Inuyasha wasn't a father figure to Shippo, but he and Kagome were the constants in Shippo's young life. He could depend on them to be there, and Miroku worried about what would happen if Inuyasha were claimed by this illness...  
  
"Miroku!"   
  
Miroku turned and went back into Kaede's hut. Inuyasha was half-sitting on his pallet, looking strangely grim. "Yes, Inuyasha?" the monk said.  
  
"I need to talk to you about something. We're... not exactly friends."  
  
"I wouldn't say 'friends,'" Miroku agreed. "Allies. Comrades. I respect your abilities and -"  
  
"Stuff it. I need you to do me a favor."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Inuyasha sighed. "You weren't there when that bear attacked Kagome. I saw it clawing at her right before I arrived. If I hadn't come, it would have killed her in a minute. Like a mad thing."  
  
Miroku frowned. "And... you're afraid that you might lose your reason as well."  
  
"Yeah. I want you to promise me something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"If this... Bloodfang makes me lost control, and I try to hurt Kagome -- I want you to use your wind tunnel on me."  
  
Miroku's eyes widened. "The wind tunnel?"  
  
"Yeah. No hesitation."  
  
Miroku held up his covered hand. "Inuyasha, if I turn the wind tunnel on you, you'd be killed in a matter of seconds."  
  
"I know that, idiot!" Inuyasha snapped. "Why else do you think I'm asking you? I won't let myself endanger Kagome if I lose my mind. Will you promise me to do that?"   
  
He fixed his eyes on Miroku's. The monk quickly looked away. Inuyasha's hand shot out and grabbed Miroku's wrist. Miroku gasped; even weakened, Inuyasha was strong enough to break his wrist if he chose. "I want you to swear that you'll do it," Inuyasha growled.   
  
Miroku tugged at Inuyasha's arm. "Have you told Kagome?" he asked.  
  
"Of course not, you idiot. You're the only one I've told. Now will you swear it or not?"  
  
Miroku clenched his cursed hand into a fist. "Do you really mean what you're saying?" he asked in a low voice. "Inuyasha, you are one of the few I would trust with my life, and it pains me to see you like this. But... this is what you really want me to do -- even if it means your death?"  
  
Inuyasha nodded once. Miroku saw a brief flash of fear in his eyes. He wondered morbidly whether Shippo would grow up normally if something bad came of all this. The prospect of losing Inuyasha was terrible enough; the fact that Miroku might be the cause of his death was even worse.  
  
The monk sighed heavily. "Very well. I swear I will use the wind tunnel if you try to harm Kagome."  
  
*  
  
Kagome wasn't sure why, but she had the feeling that Miroku wanted to say something to her -- and not his usual "will you bear my child" line. He watched her silently that evening as they ate together, and later on while she tried to study. His handsome face usually concealed what he was thinking, but now he just looked sad.  
  
Kagome had promised her mother, when she first started going through the well, that she would keep studying. But she couldn't focus on the geometry lessons, the formulae and stuff about pi. Drowning them all out was the thought that Inuyasha might die...  
  
Frustrated, Kagome let her textbook fall with a crash. Kaede looked up from the fire. "Be ye all right, Kagome?"  
  
"I'm fine," Kagome said in a choked voice. She glanced over at Inuyasha, curled on his pallet.   
  
Kaede nodded. "If any have the strength, he does, child," she said softly. "Ye must give him ye faith and encouragement, if he is to survive. I have seen how ye inspire him in battle. Now perhaps the same holds true in illness."  
  
Kagome flushed.   
  
But she thought about what Kaede said that night. The idea of losing Inuyasha was so horrible that it had only crossed her mind once before -- after he had thrown her down the well. He'd been so terribly injured that for the worst half-hour of her life, Kagome had wondered if he was dead. When she saw him, alive and sort-of-well, all her angry words had melted away, and she'd run crying into his arms.   
  
Later on she'd felt a little stupid, but her words had been genuine. The idea of losing this often-rude, violent half-demon was one of the most frightening of her life. Just thinking about it made her eyes fill with tears.   
  
I'll stay by him if it helps, Kagome thought, resting her chin on her knees. I'll stay with him for as long as it takes if it makes him get better...  
  
Suddenly Inuyasha groaned and shuddered.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered, creeping toward him. She touched his bare shoulder, and flinched. He was burning up. "Inuyasha!"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	7. Bloodfang Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX  
  
*  
  
"I'm cold," Inuyasha mumbled.  
  
"With the fever ye have, it's not a surprise," Kaede said grimly, feeling his flushed face. "Why did ye not mention it before now? This is not the time for ye to be putting on a show of strength."  
  
To her surprise, Inuyasha didn't reply at all. He kept his face in his folded arms, shivering slightly. Normally, he would have said something disparaging to the old woman.  
  
Miroku came inside with his robe pulled over his head. Under one arm was a bundle of blankets. "I got these from the villagers," he said, shaking one out.  
  
"I thank ye, Miroku," Kaede said, drawing it over Inuyasha's shoulders. "This fever is a dire sign indeed. Where is Kagome?"  
  
"She's bringing the herbs you asked for," Miroku said. "And some water."  
  
"Ah, good," Kaede said, murmuring to herself. She pulled a rather ragged cloak around herself and slowly made her way out into the night.  
  
Miroku folded his arms, watching Inuyasha. The young half-demon was lying on his side, shivering slightly. The sight of him like this made Miroku feel even more unhappy; Inuyasha might be a rude, often abrasive sort, but he was a good fellow underneath it.  
  
Kagome came in suddenly with a large water jar. "Inuyasha, how are you feeling?" she said, kneeling beside him.  
  
The young demon opened one golden eye.   
  
"Okay, that was a stupid question," Kagome said, wringing out a rag and dabbing at Inuyasha's reddened face. He closed his eyes again. "Feel any better?"  
  
"A little bit," Inuyasha murmured. He shuddered again, almost knocking the rag from Kagome's fingers.   
  
Kagome smiled a little. "Kaede's going to try some herbal recipes she knows. Maybe they'll help."  
  
"I doubt it. The last brew she made me drink came right back." Inuyasha's face was dripping now, but he didn't seem to mind. Kagome touched the back of her hand to his skin. He didn't seem quite so hot now.  
  
"Kagome," Miroku said suddenly from the shadows. Both of them had somehow forgotten he was there. "Rest for a little while. I'll watch over Inuyasha until Kaede returns."  
  
"I don't feel like sleeping," Kagome said.  
  
"Stuff it, monk," Inuyasha mumbled.  
  
Miroku smiled a little. "Well, I'll be meditating in the next room if you need me. Just call."  
  
"Yeah, sure," Inuyasha mumbled as Miroku pulled the screen shut after himself.   
  
"He's trying to help," Kagome said, running the rag over Inuyasha's chest. He was sweating now, even with the cold water on his skin.   
  
A strange, haunted look came over Inuyasha's face, but he wouldn't tell Kagome why. He lay on his side, breathing hard as if he'd been running. His clawed hands were balled into fists.  
  
"Inuyasha," Kagome said softly, touching his arm.   
  
Inuyasha mumbled something incoherent and rubbed his face against the pillow. Kagome quickly pulled the blankets over him, and watched his face in the smoldering embers' light. She had never seen him look... fragile? No, not exactly fragile. But he normally gave off such arrogant I-can-do-it attitude that it was hard to see him so sick.  
  
Inuyasha slept fitfully through the night, with Kagome sitting by his side. Kaede dozed in the corner, waking every now and then to grind herbs for her medicines. Finally she said, "Child, ye must sleep as well. Ye will do no good if ye become ill from lack of rest. I know tis hard to leave one that ye care for in such peril, but he would wish it thus."  
  
"I guess you're right," Kagome said."It's just..."  
  
"Are ye crying?"  
  
"I'm not!" Kagome insisted, rubbing her eyes. "I just... I'm worried about him, that's all."  
  
"Aye, as am I, child," Kaede said soberly. She recognized the worry in Kagome's eyes; she had seen it before, in the eyes of many young women. "I will bring ye blankets as well, and ye may sleep here at his side, to stay close as he rests. I shall wake ye when the morning comes."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	8. Bloodfang Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN  
  
*  
  
The first thing Inuyasha saw when he woke was Kagome's face. She was sleeping beside him on a folded blanket. It took the half-demon nearly a full minute to dredge up memories of where he was, and why she was sleeping next to him. Kaede's hut... the Bloodfang... she had been sitting next to him the night before...  
  
As he tried to sit up, his eyes blurred and darkened for a moment. His arms and legs felt heavy, like they were weighted down. It took nearly all of his strength to force himself upright, and even then, he was teetering as if he were drunk. And he was still shivering.  
  
"You should probably lie back down," Miroku's smooth voice said. "Your fever has gone down a little, but not enough."  
  
"Shut up." Inuyasha tried to stand up, but his legs started shaking uncontrollably, buckled at the knees.  
  
"And you're not strong enough to rise either," Miroku said firmly. "Lie back and try to save your strength. I understand how frustrated you must feel-"  
  
"No you don't," Inuyasha rasped, digging his fingers into the pallet.  
  
Miroku sighed. "Inuyasha, I think it's my duty to speak with you on a certain topic, considering your present condition."  
  
Inuyasha dropped back down in a tangle of blankets, breathing hard. "What's that?"  
  
"Your spiritual well-being."  
  
The half-demon frowned. "My what?"  
  
"Inuyasha, in this case, as you face possible death with time enough to reflect, I think it would be wise to consider carefully your past transgressions and -"  
  
For a moment, Inuyasha stared wordlessly at the monk. Then his eyes flared and he lurched halfway out of bed. "YOU -- are lecturing -- ME -- on MY sins?" he bellowed.   
  
Kagome sat up suddenly, rubbing her eyes. Miroku quickly stood up and backed away, as Inuyasha lurched halfway off the pallet on his knees. "Just WHO do you think you are, saying that to me? You can't keep your fingers off a woman-"  
  
"Inuyasha, please calm down-" Miroku said, alarmed.  
  
"GET OUT! GET OUT-" Inuyasha's shouts were broken off by a fit of coughing, and Kagome trying to push him back down.  
  
Miroku left the hut as quickly as he could, hoping that nothing bad came of Inuyasha's outburst. He paused for a moment, calming himself and trying to ignore the thumps and faint crashes from inside the house. He could hear Inuyasha's strained breaths, and Kagome urging him to calm down or else.  
  
He seated himself on a bench under the willow tree, where Kaede was sitting. The old woman was mending a torn kimono. "Mind not Inuyasha's outbursts, young monk," Kaede said. "Once he was far worse."  
  
"I know," Miroku said. "I hadn't known him for a day when he threatened to tear off my cursed hand and stuff it down my throat." A cloud of smoke was rising in the distance, staining the sky near the mountains. He pursed his lips. Sango had said she was going to burn the bear carcass, and apparently she had done so already.  
  
"And what were ye doing when he threatened that?" Kaede asked pointedly.  
  
"I think he's frightened," Miroku said, not answering. "He's fought his way through all his life, and now he has something he can't fight, that will more likely kill him than not."  
  
*  
  
Kagome smoothed a strand of Inuyasha's hair away from his face. He'd finally fallen asleep, although he still twitched and shivered as if something were crawling over his skin. He had calmed down, after Miroku left, but he had started coughing. Coughing up blood.  
  
Kagome swallowed hard as she looked at her handkerchief. She'd wiped away the blood from his lips and fingers with it. There hadn't been much, but the sight of it made things even worse. I thought he was improving, she thought.  
  
Kaede had been grim when Kagome showed her the handkerchief. "It means that his battle is far from over. I fear he may be growing worse."  
  
She had smiled suddenly. "Forgive me, Kagome. I was thinking of the irony. Ye know that for many years, Inuyasha was despised and feared by those in this village. I believed him the one who had slain my sister Kikyo. Now I work through the nights to save his life."  
  
Still asleep, Inuyasha groaned and slashed at the air. Kagome grabbed his hand and pulled it back down. Kaede watched as the young half-demon's chest and shoulders strained, then suddenly relaxed. Kagome was stroking his face, and this seemed to soothe him even while he was sleeping.  
  
Miroku slipped in, looking haggard. "How is he?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Sleeping, but not peacefully," Kaede said. She showed him the handkerchief. "Ye have the herbs I asked for?"   
  
"Yes." Miroku took a bag out of his sleeve.  
  
"What are those?" Kagome asked.   
  
Kaede inspected one of the thin leaves. "Tis a potion to bring down his fever, and to speed his healing."  
  
"It can't cure him, can it?"  
  
"I fear not." Kaede began boiling water, and dropped the leaves into it. "But mayhap, it will give him a better chance."  
  
Inuyasha shivered and clutched at Kagome's elbow.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	9. Bloodfang Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT  
  
*  
  
"Inuyasha? Inuyasha?"  
  
He heard her voice as if he were underwater, rippling and distorted. His skin was on fire, but fingers like whispers of cool wind were brushing over him, touching his face and throat. Blindly he clutched at Kagome's hand, trying to keep her fingers close to his. In a smoky haze, he saw her face over his...  
  
"Inuyasha, wake up. Kaede has something that might help you. Inuyasha, wake up!"  
  
The half-demon's eyes fluttered, but didn't open. "Kagome?" he murmured.  
  
Kagome looked up at Kaede. "He isn't waking up," she said fearfully. "What are we gonna do?"  
  
Kaede's lined face looked eerie in the firelight, as she ladled a bowlful of what Inuyasha had once called "herbal slop." She knelt beside him, and beckoned Miroku over. "He is growing worse. We can wait no longer. Miroku, ye lift him from the floor and support his head. Kagome, ye must hold his hands so that I might give him this."  
  
Miroku awkwardly lifted Inuyasha's head and shoulders, while Kagome clutched at his hands. Kaede touched the bowl to the half-demon's lips and began pouring it into his mouth. He instinctively flinched and tried to turn his head away, twisting against Miroku.  
  
"I have him," Miroku said tensely. "He's not as strong as usual."  
  
"Inuyasha," Kagome said desperately. "Inuyasha, you have to drink this. It might help you..."  
  
Inuyasha choked and coughed as Kaede quickly tipped the last of the potion into his mouth. But he'd swallowed all of it.  
  
Miroku breathed a sigh of relief. "Good," he mumbled, sliding Inuyasha back down onto the bed.  
  
Kaede rose and walked slowly into the next room. "I'll check on ye in a few hours. Try to sleep until then, Kagome."  
  
Miroku settled on a cushion with a groan. He considered himself quite able physically, but the stress of the past week was wearing on him. He spent a few minutes idly watching the flames dancing, then started as he heard Kagome make an odd choked sound. He sat up. "Kagome? Are you all right?"  
  
"No," Kagome said, wiping her eyes. "I'm such an idiot."  
  
"What do you mean?" Miroku handed her one of the damp rags she had been using on Inuyasha.  
  
Kagome glance down at Inuyasha's stll form. With his fair skin and white hair, he looked like a marble statue at rest on a tomb. "It's my fault. If I hadn't gotten cornered by that bear, Inuyasha wouldn't be like this." She touched the bandage on his shoulder, and was rewarded by a faint twitch of his hand.  
  
"Do you actually believe that?" Miroku said softly. "I'm sure Inuyasha wouldn't."  
  
"I didn't say it made sense," Kagome said, her voice wobbling dangerously.  
  
Miroku tried to stifle a yawn behind his hand. "Perhaps Kaede's potion will have some effect. Get some sleep, Kagome." He patted her shoulder gently and tried to smile. Her face, even with reddened eyes, was pretty enough in the dim light that he had to remind himself of Inuyasha's all-too-obvious feelings toward her. He wondered, at times, if Inuyasha had even the slightest idea how transparent he was.  
  
When he fell asleep, Kagome was still kneeling by Inuyasha's side. She touched one of his clawed hands.   
  
*  
  
Kagome yawned and stretched. Her back was starting to cramp from sleeping on the wooden floor of Kaede's house. Miroku was stretched out in the corner, with his staff and Tetsusaiga beside him. Inuyasha was sleeping quietly, except for the faint strain in his breathing. He coughed a little as she slipped out the door.  
  
I wonder if he's doing better, Kagome thought as her bike sped down the rocky dirt path. It was hard enough getting that herbal stuff down his throat. Maybe it did him some good.  
  
The bundle of food and supplies banged against her back as the bike hit a rock. Kagome only hoped that Shippo handled this as well as he had last time Inuyasha was seriously hurt. But then, he had been crying when he left...  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
Kagome skidded on the brakes. Kaede's voice floated down the hill to her. "Kaede?" she called, turning the bike and struggling uphill.  
  
The elderly priestess was puffing down the hill, clutching her bow. "Kagome, ye must go back to Inuyasha this instant. If ye do not, I fear that he may-"  
  
"What's happened?" Kagome cried.  
  
As if in answer, a familiar groaning scream rang out from Kaede's house, behind the trees. Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha..."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	10. Bloodfang Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE  
  
*  
  
He saw her through a haze, a hundred different visions that melted and swirled into one another. Crumpled at his feet, with blood on her uniform and claw marks in her back, like Kikyo. Pierced by an arrow. Blasted by Hiten's lightning attack, with Shippo lying dead beside her. Vanished into a dark void of smoke and shadow, calling his name until silence stole her voice.  
  
And worst of all, he saw her face contorted in disgust, felt her hands pushing against his chest. As he tried to run after her, she vanished into the mist.  
  
A shriek rose out of him like a dragon uncoiling. "Kagome! KAGOME!"  
  
Hands grasped him, and he felt Miroku's hand cover scrape against his skin. "Inuyasha, calm down! Kagome just-"  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted again, struggling against the monk. Rage filled him; Miroku had always wanted Kagome, like he wanted every other woman. Snarling, Inuyasha tried to push Miroku off of him.  
  
*  
  
Kagome heard the strangled screams continue as she pedalled faster. The bike wasn't meant for off-road travel, but Kagome didn't care if she shredded the tires. It bounced and skidded down the path, almost going into a ditch.  
  
"I'm coming, I'm coming," she whispered.  
  
Another cry rose from Kaede's hut. It was Inuyasha, screaming her name. "Kagome!" She'd only heard him call like that a few times. Once had been when he had thought she was dead, after the battle with the Thunder Brothers, and had been pleading with her not to leave him.  
  
Kagome didn't slow down as she approached the hut. As the bike hurtled toward the door, she swerved to the side and jumped off. The bike crashed into the wall as she rushed inside.  
  
Inuyasha was awake, but wild-eyed, snarling and thrashing around on the floor. Miroku was sprawled on top of him, holding his fists against the floor. He dodged a wild swipe by Inuyasha, shouting, "Dammit, Inuyasha, she's fine -- she's --"  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome appeared in the doorway, and almost threw herself at Inuyasha.  
  
Miroku quickly released Inuyasha's hands and backed away.  
  
Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's arms and shoulders as he started to rise. "Inuyasha, stay down, stay down," she whispered. "It's okay, I'm okay. Just calm down..."  
  
Inuyasha stared at her with wide, half-seeing eyes. His clawed hand slowly rose and touched her face, as if to reassure himself that she was real. "Kagome... I thought... you were gone..."  
  
Kagome tried to smile. "No way. I've still got too many jewel shards to collect."  
  
Inuyasha didn't seem to hear her. He just watched her face with that strange look in his eyes. Suddenly his arms were hugging her close to his chest. Kagome tried to pat his shoulder despite the awkwardness of the position. "Inuyasha..." she said into his ear. "Inuyasha, let me go. That hurts... Inuyasha, you're crushing me..."  
  
"I'll get him off," Miroku said grimly.  
  
"No, don't touch him," Kagome said, trying not to wheeze. She worked her fingers under Inuyasha's, mumbling, "Inuyasha, gently... just let me go... I won't leave, I promise..."  
  
Inuyasha suddenly began coughing again. He curled up on the bed, pressing his hand against his mouth. When the fit stopped, Kagome saw blood smeared on his fingers. He had drifted out of consciousness again.  
  
"He's getting worse," Miroku said, flexing his cursed hand. "Damn, I think he strained my wrist... he didn't seem to recognize Kaede or myself. Or else he didn't care." He stared intently at Kagome. "He only recognized you."  
  
"What was wrong with him?"   
  
"I think he was delirious -- still IS delirious. He had some kind of dream about you -- losing you, I think -- and woke up screaming your name. But he didn't seem able to tell that it had been only a dream. He thought it was all real." He sighed. "Kaede's potion isn't helping him. He's getting worse, much faster."  
  
Kagome looked at the perspiring half-demon, trying to keep her emotions under control. "I have to stay here," she said softly. "Otherwise he might wake up and freak out again. Miroku, will you do me a favor?"  
  
"So long as it doesn't require me to use both hands..."  
  
"I was taking a bundle of food and supplies to Sango and Shippo. They're tied to my bike outside. Will you take them out for me?"  
  
Miroku nodded. "I'll go with Kaede."  
  
"And Miroku?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Will you pray?"  
  
Miroku smiled slightly. "I will. You should too."He rested a hand on her shoulder for a moment before leaving.   
  
Inuyasha groaned again, twisting as if he were trying to fight himself. "You can beat this," Kagome whispered. "Fight it, Inuyasha..."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	11. Bloodfang Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN  
  
*  
  
Kaede was sitting under a tree when Miroku passed by. He paused, shifting the bundle under his arm. "Priestess Kaede?" he asked.  
  
"Just resting," Kaede said. "Not all of us have such young legs as ye and Kagome. How is Inuyasha? Has he been calmed?"  
  
"He stopped when Kagome came in," Miroku said, as the old priestess walked beside him. "She won't leave his side now. But his delirium is getting worse. And he seems to be in more pain."  
  
Kaede nodded absently. "I thought as much."  
  
The clearing near the Bone-Eater's Well was unusually crowded. Sango was sitting on a log under a tree, with Kirara on her shoulder and her boomerang across her legs. A small bundle of red fur was at her feet; it took Miroku a moment to realize that it was Shippo.  
  
"I've brought you some food," he said, seating himself beside Sango. "Your boomerang is quite well-shined."  
  
"It should be," Sango said, accepting the bundle of food. "I've barely had anything else to do."  
  
"Except burning that bear carcass."  
  
Sango nodded. "Although we don't know how many demons may have been exposed to the Bloodfang in the hours it was there..."  
  
"We can only hope."  
  
Sango nibbled some dried meat. "How is Inuyasha?" she said hesitantly. "Is he any better?"  
  
"No," Miroku said darkly. "He's getting worse, in fact. He can't stand any longer, he's coughing up blood, and he was delirious this morning. He thought that a nightmare was what actually happened. Only Kagome is a comfort to him."  
  
Kirara scampered over to Kaede. The old priestess was gathering firewood, but paused long enough to stroke the demon cat's ears.   
  
The demon-slayer pointed at the sleeping fox-demon. "Shippo's almost distraught. Myoga's not helping. He keeps talking about the Bloodfang and how no half-demon has ever survived it, which only makes Shippo more upset." Sango sighed. "How is Kagome faring?"  
  
Miroku sighed. "Poorly. She's holding out hope that he can fight off the Bloodfang, but I can see in her eyes that she is afraid." He bowed his head slightly. "I feel for her."  
  
Sango began polishing her boomerang again. "So even though he calls for Kagome, Inuyasha is supposed to be in love with this Kikyo woman?"  
  
"I don't know about that. I don't have much experience with love... as an emotion," Miroku added hastily. "But it seems to me that love is more in actions than in the words. But then, I don't know much about what has transpired in the past. I wasn't around most of the time."  
  
"This Kikyo must truly love him."  
  
"Actually, unless I'm mistaken, she tried to kill him at least three times," Miroku said, smiling. "I don't really understand Inuyasha at times."  
  
"Nor do I..." Sango said. A heavy look came into her eyes, one that Miroku recognized. It was when she thought of her father and brother, and what Naraku had done to destroy her past life. "Do you think Inuyasha will die?"  
  
"I'm afraid that ... probably."  
  
"It's strange. He seems so invulnerable most of the time..."  
  
"He's not invulnerable. I've seen him badly wounded in battle, so badly that he needed days to recover. And Inuyasha told me... it was in confidence, but I don't think he would mind me telling you. He told me that on the one moonless night of every month, he becomes a human from sunset to sunrise. He keeps it a secret from nearly everyone." Miroku rested his chin on his hand.   
  
"Do you think anything could cure him?"  
  
"The only thing I can think of is his brother's sword. But even if we knew where he was, and could get to him in time, he wouldn't help us."   
  
Kaede rose from the tree root where she had been sitting. Her one eye watched Miroku closely. "Miroku, it is time that we left. Kagome cannot care for Inuyasha alone for long."   
  
"I'm coming." Miroku thought briefly about making a grab for Sango, but decided against it. She was still holding her boomerang.   
  
Sunk in his thoughts, he followed the old woman through the forest.  
  
*  
  
"Kagome..."  
  
Inuyasha's voice broke through Kagome's thoughts. She crept over to Inuyasha's side.  
  
The half-demon looked dazed, but his eyes were clear. He was sweating again, and when she touched his hand, his skin was hot. "Kagome... how long... have I been asleep?" he said breathlessly.  
  
"For a few hours, I think," Kagome said. She picked up the damp cloth and wiped his forehead. "You were freaking out this morning."  
  
"I remember," Inuyasha said. He looked a little embarrassed. "I... didn't hurt you, did I?"  
  
"Not too much. My ribs are a little sore." Kagome smoothed his long hair back. "How do you feel? Any better?"  
  
"No... it's worse." Inuyasha swallowed hard. "I feel... there's a pain in my chest... I feel like... my heart's being split." He groaned and arched his back.   
  
When the spasm had passed, Inuyasha watched Kagome for a little longer. "Kagome... do something for me?" he said.  
  
Kagome wrung the cloth out. "Sure, what?"  
  
"Stay with me... the pain... isn't so bad... when I know... you're here." He closed his eyes.  
  
Thunder rumbled outside, and dark clouds rolled over the sun. Kagome left Inuyasha's side just long enough to let the screen roll down over the door, filling the room with darkness.   
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	12. Bloodfang Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN  
  
*  
  
Miroku ducked into Kaede's house, holding one sleeve over his face. The rain had started falling only a few minutes before, but he and the elderly priestess were already soaked to the skin.   
  
Inuyasha was still curled up when they returned to the house, with Kagome sitting silently by his side.   
  
"Any improvement?" he asked.  
  
Kagome shook her head. "He's still burning up. And he's soaked with sweat."  
  
Miroku grimaced. "I'll get you some more water."  
  
The rest of the day, few words were spoken. Inuyasha often whined and groaned, twisting in the pallet. To Kagome's eyes, it looked as if he were wrestling something that was trying to squeeze the life from him. She held his shaking hands through the worst of the pain, and stroked his face when he thrashed in his sleep.   
  
Kaede alone seemed to not be thinking of the future. She spent time at the windows, watching the trees sway in the storm winds. When the storm blew itself out, she walked out slowly across the wet grass, still thinking.  
  
That night, Miroku offered a bowl of stew to Kagome. "It's not very good," he said wryly. "But I had to hone what skills I could, out in the wilds."  
  
"No thanks. I'm not hungry."  
  
"It won't help him if you starve yourself."  
  
"But I'm not hungry."  
  
"Kagome, please."  
  
Kagome reluctantly took the bowl and choked down a few pieces of fish.   
  
Kaede appeared in the door. "I must speak with ye both."  
  
Kagome gratefully put down the stew, and followed Miroku outside. The stars were shining around a thin crescent moon, now that the clouds were gone.  
  
"I have thought of something that may save Inuyasha's life," Kaede said. "But I would caution ye both that it is but a theory. I know not if it would help."  
  
"What is it?" Kagome said urgently.  
  
Kaede turned to Miroku. "Miroku, earlier today ye said to Sango that on one night a month, Inuyasha loses his demon blood and becomes a full human. Is this not so?"  
  
"The new moon," Kagome said. "He's always tried to keep it a secret, because he's afraid someone will try to harm him when he's weakened."  
  
"His weakness may be his strength now," Kaede said grimly. "Recall ye that the Bloodfang will kill demons that it touches, yet it touches humans not at all."  
  
She pointed at the thin, pale moon in the sky. "The moonless night will be tomorrow, after the sun sets. The night Inuyasha becomes a full human from sunset to sunrise, only to transform back when the sun appears once more. And yet, those meager hours may be enough to take the curse from him."  
  
"I see," Miroku said. "So you believe that when Inuyasha becomes human, the Bloodfang will fade from his body? Because he will be a human, even temporarily."  
  
"Again, I do not know. But yes, I do think that it is possible. And I know not whether the blight will return when his demon blood does." Kaede sighed. "And that is only if he survives until the morrow's night. Weakened as he is, he may not live that long. If he may do so, then he has the chance of living."  
  
She turned to Kagome. "Ye must try to keep him alive until then, Kagome. Ye alone he listens to now."  
  
"But... how can we be sure this is gonna work?"  
  
"We cannot. Mayhap he will be cleansed of the Bloodfang, and recover swiftly as he has done before. And mayhap the Bloodfang will rise again when he has become a half-demon once more. As Myoga has said, no half-demon has survived the plague before. We do not know if any of those became human for a time after infection..."  
  
Kagome nodded. She was still terrified of losing Inuyasha, but now a tiny hope was starting up again. It does sort of make sense, she thought. If he's human, the Bloodfang won't hurt him... if it doesn't kill him before that.  
  
She swallowed hard. "Miroku, can I have some of that stew?"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	13. Bloodfang Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE  
  
*  
  
The hut was lit only by a small, rather smelly lamp, and the fire in the hearth. Kagome stoked the embers with a stick, feeling more confused than she had in days. Fear and fatigue were warring with hope, and all it was giving her was a severely upset stomach.  
  
"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice was barely more than a whisper. She turned, saw him looking directly at her.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
"I wanna talk to you."  
  
Kagome walked on her knees to his side. He looked even more feverish than before, and there were livid scratches on his chest. "Where did those come from?" she asked, touching one scratch.  
  
Inuyasha closed his eyes. "Don't know. I did it... when I was asleep... don't remember exactly what I did."  
  
"Does your chest still hurt?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha's only response was to turn his flushed face away from her. "Inuyasha, if you want to talk to me, do it while I'm changing your bandage." She worked her fingers under the linen strips and pulled them loose. Inuyasha stiffened as she touched the wound. "I'm sorry, I know it hurts. But Kaede isn't back, and this is my first time."  
  
"It's no... big deal," Inuyasha grunted. "Just keep going."  
  
Kagome winced as she peeled off the bandage. Blood was still seeping from Inuyasha's shoulder, and the skin around the claw marks was swollen. "Oh boy... that isn't good," she said.  
  
"So, tomorrow's the new moon," Inuyasha mumbled.  
  
Kagome froze. "What... how did you know?"  
  
"I was listening."  
  
"Listening?"  
  
Inuyasha half-smiled and pointed at his dog ears, which had almost drooped out of sight. "Nothing wrong with these... even if nothing else works..."  
  
Kagome scooped Kaede's ointment onto her fingers, and began gingerly rubbing it into the infected claw marks. She could feel sweat breaking out on his skin, even though he wasn't so much as wincing. "Inuyasha... you just have to hold on for one more day. If you can make it to tomorrow night, you'll become a full human and the Bloodfang will vanish."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Well... yeah, maybe. But some chance is better than none, and the only thing we can think of that might cure you is the Tenseiga," Kagome said hesitantly, wrapping the bandage around his shoulder. This time he didn't stiffen, as if he couldn't feel the pain any longer. "Inuyasha, just hang on and fight. Hang on for a little longer. One more day."  
  
Inuyasha began coughing again. More blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth, and a red stain began to spread under the bandages.  
  
*  
  
The next day was the longest of Kagome's life.  
  
The night was bad enough, lying beside Inuyasha's and listening to his harsh gasps and groans. Every now and then she reached up to him, to reassure herself. His skin was burning hot, and his chest was dripping sweat. She barely got any sleep -- unlike Miroku, who was mumbling sleepily the whole time. From what she overheard, he was dreaming about asking somebody to bear his child.  
  
Kagome glanced at the alarm clock she'd put near Inuyasha's pallet. A few more hours to go. Every minute seemed to drag out longer than it should have. He was lying half in her lap, with her arms tightly wrapped around him, and his silver head resting on her shoulder. Kagome could feel him twisting and clawing at his chest. The worst thing was, this was the calmest he'd been all day -- and Kagome suspected that it was because he was starting to weaken.  
  
"Kagome," Kaede said, kneeling beside them. "Be he any better?"  
  
Kagome shook her head. "I think -- I think he's getting worse."  
  
"The sun will be setting soon, child. If ye can keep him alive but a little longer, this curse may yet be lifted."  
  
Inuyasha grimaced and jerked his head from side to side. His eyes were still tightly shut.  
  
"He's been dreaming all day," Kagome said. "He won't hold still."  
  
Kaede patted Kagome's shoulder. "I must leave to tell Sango and Shippo of this. Will ye be all right with only Miroku here?"  
  
"I'm fine," Kagome said.  
  
After Kaede had been gone awhile, Miroku stood up. "I'm going to check on the sun," he said.  
  
Kagome watched him go, then looked at Inuyasha. "You can do it," she said to the groaning half-demon. "Just hang on... hang on a little longer... it'll be okay... just stay with me a little longer..."  
  
Inuyasha shivered and clutched at her hand. "Kagome..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Miroku shouted something from outside. As Kagome looked up, she felt Inuyasha go limp in her arms.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	14. Bloodfang Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN  
  
*  
  
"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered.  
  
Inuyasha didn't respond. The flush had drained from his face, and his bare skin had suddenly gone from hot to cool. The afternoon sun was seeping through the treetops, casting a blood-red glow on his face.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, shaking him. He couldn't leave her -- not when he was so close... not when he was almost there... not before she told him...  
  
Miroku appeared in the doorway. "Kagome! Wait! Calm down, it's not what you think!" He knelt at Inuyasha's side, and turned his hand over. "Look. Look at this."  
  
Kagome gasped. Inuyasha's claws were gone, replaced by human fingernails.  
  
"The sun has started setting," Miroku said.  
  
Kagome looked at Inuyasha's face. His dog ears had completely vanished from the top of his head; when she touched the side of his skull, she felt a human ear concealed under his thick silver hair. And that was changing as well. A shimmer seemed to run over his head, turning the hairs from silver to black.   
  
She glanced out the door. As the edge of the sun vanished beyond the horizon, Inuyasha trembled again, and lay still. His hair was pitch-black, and his claws and dog ears had vanished. She was holding what appeared to be an ordinary human, a teenage boy, asleep and peaceful.  
  
"His fever's gone," she said. "And he's not crying out anymore."  
  
"The Bloodfang must have receded," Miroku said. "Here, let's lower him down."  
  
With Miroku's help, Kagome awkwardly lowered Inuyasha down to the pallet. His eyes twitched, and slowly opened.  
  
"How do you feel?" Kagome asked.  
  
Inuyasha didn't answer for a moment. "Miroku," he said finally.  
  
"Yes?" Miroku asked.  
  
"Get out. I wanna talk to Kagome alone."  
  
Miroku nodded and left the hut.  
  
Inuyasha watched the doorway until the monk's shadow had vanished from the doorway. His dark eyes wandered over the window, where the moon had been the night before.  
  
"Are you still in pain?" Kagome asked softly. "Are you having trouble breathing?"  
  
"No... I'm just tired," Inuyasha said, touching his chest. "These hurt, though..."  
  
"I can put some salve on them if you want." Kagome touched his wounded shoulder.   
  
"Forget it. It's no big deal. They're just on the skin." Inuyasha shifted on the pallet, and pressed a hand to his bandaged shoulder. He winced. Damn, it's still hot, he thought. If it's still got the Bloodfang in it...  
  
"Can you forgive me?" Kagome said in a small, choked voice.  
  
Inuyasha stared at her blankly. "For what?"  
  
"Getting you into this mess." Kagome tried to keep her tears back. Even though Inuyasha probably couldn't see them in the dark room, he could still hear them in her voice. "If I hadn't gotten cornered by that bear, it wouldn't have clawed you and you wouldn't be sick like this. It's my fault this is happening to you..."  
  
"'S not your fault." Inuyasha slowly moved closer, wincing at the pressure on his shoulder. "Even if it was, it wouldn't matter. I'd've done the same, even if I'd known what was gonna happen." His eyes raised to Kagome's, and for a moment she saw her own eyes reflected in them. "I couldn't have stood by and let you be hurt."  
  
Kagome had always wondered what it felt like to have a heart skip a beat. The tears she was trying to hold back were threatening to overflow. "Inuyasha..."  
  
"Kagome," Inuyasha said softly. "Will you promise me something?"  
  
"Sure, anything."  
  
"Promise me... that if I don't make it past tonight... you won't forget me when I'm gone."  
  
Kagome was silent for a moment. Then she leaned over and kissed him between the eyes. A tear trickled down her chin; Inuyasha blinked as it touched his eye. "I couldn't forget you... even if I didn't promise. And I do promise it."  
  
Inuyasha lay quietly for a moment, listening. Then he raised his good hand and touched Kagome's cheek. "You're crying..."  
  
"I'm sorry. I know you hate that."  
  
"Don't cry for me," he said. "I don't like seeing you cry..."  
  
Kagome wiped at her eyes. "You never -- you never acted like you could actually die before -- and now... when you started to transform, I thought you'd..."  
  
Inuyasha was silent again. Unable to see his face, Kagome thought he had drifted off to sleep. Then she heard his voice whispering, "Would you do one more thing... for me?"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Would you hold me like you did before... just for a little while?"  
  
Kagome tried to smile. "Sure." She slid down halfway onto the pallet, and gathered Inuyasha close to her, with his head resting against her shoulder. His bare chest and back were cool now that the fever was gone, but she could smell a hint of blood.  
  
"Thanks," Inuyasha said, closing his eyes. "Just let me be here... for a little while..."  
  
Kagome rested her cheek against his forehead, listened to him breathe. Inuyasha wrapped an arm around her back, trembling a little at the effort. It's the least I can do for him, she thought, with tears in her eyes.  
  
*  
  
The sky was turning a soft rose color in the east, and the sound of birds chirping crept in the windows.  
  
Kaede looked up from the spell scrolls she had been making, just to pass the time. Her old bones were weary and aching, from the dampness and lack of sleep. She had returned from Sango's temporary camp by the well, to find Miroku sitting solemnly by the path. He said that Inuyasha had wished to speak with Kagome alone, and had told him to leave.  
  
Inside, Kaede found Kagome fast asleep, with Inuyasha cradled against her, his head resting against her throat. The young half-demon had clearly turned human with the setting sun; Kaede had expected the changes in him, but somehow it was still a shock to see him this way.  
  
"Miroku," Kaede had said softly. "Carry Kagome into my room and let her rest in my bed. I shall wait to see what happens when dawn comes. And see ye come straight back," she added sternly. "Ye shall not dally." The monk looked too tired to try any dallying. He carefully pulled Kagome from Inuyasha's grasp, and carried her into Kaede's room. A moment later he had returned. Soon after, he was dozing in a corner.  
  
Now Kaede watched the sleeping Inuyasha intently. The young half-demon was still human -- until the sun rose. She looked out the window, where the bright line of the sun appeared on the horizon. As the sun rose, Kaede closed her eyes. When she opened then, she turned to look at Inuyasha. The dark-haired human boy was gone, and in his place was a silver-haired, dog-eared half-demon.  
  
The old woman knelt at his side, and felt his face. Then she listened to his chest, and sighed. "And so tis over..."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	15. Bloodfang Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN  
  
*  
  
Kagome woke with a start, feeling the sun's warmth on her face.  
  
She sat up, looking around at the plain little room. She was tucked into a bed -- Kaede's, she suspected -- and it was mid-morning, by the sunlight streaming through the window. Miroku was sitting by the door screen, with his head bowed in meditation.  
  
Sunlight... sunrise...  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, stumbling out of the bed.  
  
Miroku broke out his trance as Kagome went by. He grabbed her, but she pushed him away, calling Inuyasha's name over and over. "Kagome, wait! Inuyasha is-" he said. She pushed the screen out of the way, and almost fell into the next room.  
  
Inuyasha was lying on his pallet, where he had been the night before. His hair had turned back to silver, and his ears were that of a dog. But he didn't move when she had called his name.  
  
For one agonizing moment, Kagome was sure he was dead. Then she saw the slight rise and fall of his battered chest.   
  
"-sleeping peacefully," Miroku finished.  
  
"As were ye until a few minutes ago," Kaede said, appearing in the doorway. "Be calm, Kagome. Inuyasha's fever has broken, and he sleeps in peace for the first time in many days. Though I cannot be sure so soon, I think that the Bloodfang is purged from his body. Now he has only to rest and recover his strength. It has been a terrible ordeal for him."  
  
Kagome's knees suddenly seemed to lose all their bones. Miroku grabbed her before she fell flat on her face.  
  
"As has it been for ye," Kaede said, holding her hand. "Ye have gone without most food or sleep for many days, to hold vigil by his side. Ye must rest too."  
  
Kagome finally convinced them to let her sleep beside Inuyasha's pallet, the way she had been for the past week. "Have you told the others?" she asked Miroku sleepily, as he draped a blanket over her.  
  
"Not yet. I'll go right now."  
  
"Yeah, Shippo will probably be hysterical by now." Kagome yawned and closed her eyes.  
  
But or awhile after Miroku left, Kagome couldn't sleep. She found herself watching Inuyasha, remembering how he'd been the night before.   
  
*  
  
Inuyasha woke to a white mist swirling around him, seeming to envelop him like a mother's comforting embrace, letting him sink deeper. The gnawing pain in his chest was gone, and he didn't have to gasp for breath any longer.   
  
Where am I? Am I dead? he wondered.  
  
No... no, he wasn't. He could smell Kagome, somewhere near him. Unconsciously, he turned his head to the side, inhaled her scent. The mists began to dissolve as he struggled to locate her.  
  
His hand bumped into something.  
  
"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered, opening his eyes.   
  
Kagome was curled up on a bed of blankets, right next to him. Fast asleep, with her face burrowed into a pillow. His hand was resting on her shoulder.   
  
His hand.... Inuyasha raised it in front of his face and sighed. His claws were back, and he could feel that his dog ears were too. But the pain in his chest was gone, except for those scratches he had made himself. His shoulder hurt, but it was minor compared to how it had felt before.  
  
What he felt now was weakness. It felt like his muscles had turned to wet noodles. And the room began to blur and spin as he managed to get upright. Flashing lights danced in front of his eyes.  
  
He fell back with an undignified grunt. "Dammit," he said hoarsely.  
  
Kagome stirred and opened her eyes. "Inuyasha?"  
  
"I'm awake," Inuyasha said, turning to her.   
  
"How do you feel?"  
  
"Weak." He said the word as if it were a curse. "I can't sit up, I can't do anything."  
  
"Well, you are just recovering from a very bad illness. Just give it time."  
  
Inuyasha didn't reply. He really must be feeling tired, Kagome thought. He didn't argue at all!  
  
"Kagome," Inuyasha said in a soft, dreamy voice. "I want you to tell me something honestly... about Miroku."  
  
"He didn't lay a finger on me, except when I almost fell on my face."  
  
"Good." Inuyasha shut his golden eyes and snuggled into the pillow. "Glad to hear the pervert monk kept his hands to himself."   
  
He stayed silent and still, until Kagome's slow breaths assured him that she had fallen asleep. After making sure that Miroku and Kaede were gone, he inched closer until he was beside her. Trembling with the effort, he put his arm around her.  
  
*  
  
"Lay on your belly, so that I may see ye back." Kaede knelt down beside Inuyasha's pallet.  
  
Kagome's breath caught as Inuyasha reluctantly bared his back. He was slowly getting stronger, but she still had the lingering fear that anytime now, he'd start burning with fever again. The fear vanished as she saw his back. His skin was clear.  
  
"The mark of the Bloodfang has gone," Kaede said with satisfaction. "Ye are truly healed. Now, all that remains is for ye to recover. Wait but a week or so, and that shall be enough for ye."  
  
"Don't want to wait that long," Inuyasha mumbled. "I can be up in three days."  
  
"I think ye overestimate yourself," Kaede said dryly. "Even ye are not invulnerable, and the Bloodfang was worse than most injuries dealt to ye."  
  
"The Shikon jewel can wait a few days," Kagome said, pulling a blanket over him.  
  
"Says who?"  
  
"Says me."  
  
"Ah yes, he has recovered even now," Kaede said wryly,   
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	16. Bloodfang Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN  
  
*  
  
Kagome peeled off the bandage for what seemed like the hundredth time. This time, she wasn't wincing. The raw claw marks had started closing the day the Bloodfang had been purged, and now, a few days later, they were just thin red lines on Inuyasha's shoulder.   
  
The half-demon sat up and flexed his arm. "Not bad. A little stiff, though."  
  
The past few days had been hard on him. And on Kagome. She knew Inuyasha hated any weakness in himself,and so being bedridden and unable to stand without help was a horrible strain. When she brought up the idea of a bath in the river, he stared at her as if she had just sprouted antennae.  
  
"I don't see why I need one," Inuyasha said stubbornly.  
  
"First of all, you were all sweaty when you were sick. Second, we can't take any risks about you possibly passing the Bloodfang on to Shippo, Kirara or Myoga," Kagome had said, kneeling down beside him. "There probably isn't any risk, but we should stay safe anyway. Look, I'll come with you to help, if you want."  
  
Inuyasha had turned bright red. "No."  
  
"You don't want me around when you're bathing, do you?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"All right, then." Kagome stood up and dusted herself off. "Miroku!"  
  
Miroku didn't seem thrilled about this idea, but he helped Inuyasha walk unsteadily to the riverbank anyway. They came back half an hour later, with Inuyasha dripping and sulky, and Miroku saying, "Stop sulking, Inuyasha. I don't think those village girls saw much of us."  
  
"I don't mind them seeing YOU," Inuyasha had snapped, leaning heavily on the monk. "I know you crave the attention. It's them watching ME I have a problem with."  
  
Kaede raised an eyebrow. "Did ye have troubles with the village girls?"  
  
"That, and Miroku was calling, 'Would you like a swim'? Feh!" Inuyasha collapsed onto his pallet.   
  
"I thought you could use the relaxation after all you've been through," Miroku said, shrugging. "Besides, I think I've been remarkably restrained over the past week."  
  
"Yeah, sure you were, because you knew if you touched Kagome, I'd make sure you could NEVER pass on that curse of yours," Inuyasha said ominously.  
  
"Stop ye bickering," Kaede said sternly, sitting beside the bristling half-demon. "Inuyasha, tis time for your medicine. And ye cannot avoid it this time."  
  
*  
  
"Inuyasha?" a high voice called from outside. "Kagome? Inuyasha?"  
  
Miroku smiled. "I see Shippo is here."  
  
Kagome put down the fire-rat kimono she had been wringing dry. Inuyasha was curled up, half-asleep, under a blanket while Kaede and Kagome had been washing his clothes. Now he sat up, blinking and rubbing his eyes.  
  
Miroku pulled the door screen open, and a little ball of fur bounced in. It landed directly on Inuyasha's chest and hugged his neck. "Inuyasha!" Shippo wailed. "I was so worried!"  
  
"What's to be worried about?" Inuyasha peeled Shippo off his throat and let the little fox sit on his knee. "I told ya that old monk's curse didn't stand a chance."  
  
Shippo blinked and looked at his hands. "Is it safe to touch him?" he asked belatedly.  
  
Kagome wiped her soapy hands on her skirt. "Yes, Shippo, everything is fine."  
  
Shippo bounced forward again, trying to hug Inuyasha's bare chest. His arms didn't reach far enough. "I was worried about you! Myoga kept saying you were gonna die."  
  
The flea leaped out of Shippo's tail. "I was just trying to keep you grounded during a time of crisis!"  
  
"Hah!" Inuyasha snorted. "You think that I was worried? No way."  
  
Yes way, Kagome thought, rolling her eyes. Inuyasha's usual know-no-fear facade was firmly in place again, now that he was recovering his strength.   
  
As she began scrubbing his kimono over the washboard again, Kagome found herself remembering the quiet, more vulnerable side he had shown to her that one night. That was the worst thing about him turning human. When he said something sweet, she always was left wondering whether it was truly him saying this, or just some part that he kept buried for the rest of the month.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	17. Bloodfang Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN  
  
*  
  
The sun was shining on the morning they set out. Kagome watched as Inuyasha slipped into his bright red kimono. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.  
  
"Sure I am," he said. "I've been in bed for almost a week now, just recovering. I've never had to heal that long in my life. If I'm not ready to go, then I should be."  
  
He blinked a little in the sunlight as they stepped out on the road, and actually waved back to Kaede. The old woman looked completely worn out by the past few weeks, but she waved in response, then vanished back into her hut.   
  
As if to prove he was feeling okay, Inuyasha walked far ahead of the rest of the group, with his hand resting on the Tetsusaiga.  
  
He could at least say "thank you," after I almost had a breakdown, Kagome thought. Though Inuyasha might have recovered fully, she still felt tired and wilted. And her back was still stiff after those nights on the floor.  
  
She paused beside Miroku. "Could you take my bike for awhile?" she asked. "I want to talk to Inuyasha."  
  
Miroku nodded and slid onto the bike seat. She jogged ahead to where the half-demon was walking, and fell into step beside him. "Inuyasha, can we talk?" she asked.  
  
"Sure. I'm not feeling sick, if that's what you're asking."  
  
"I'm not feeling so great."  
  
"It's that sorta stuff that makes me glad I'm not human," Inuyasha grumbled, scratching behind his ear.  
  
"I don't know," Kagome said, smiling. "If you think about it, it was your 'weak' human side that let you make it through the Bloodfang at all. Without it, you would have died."  
  
Inuyasha looked thoughtful, but didn't reply. He folded his hands into his sleeves. "Can we talk... alone?" he asked awkwardly.  
  
"Sure. Where?"  
  
As a response, he half-knelt and gestured at his back. When Kagome climbed on, he raced down the road and past the trees, leaving Shippo, Sango and Miroku far behind. Kagome closed her eyes against the wind, resting her cheek against Inuyasha's shoulder.  
  
Finally he skidded to a stop and let her off. But when she tried to face him, he looked away. "Kagome... I wanted to know something. When I asked you to promise... you wouldn't forget me... didja say that just to make me feel better, when I thought I was dying?"  
  
Kagome's eyes widened. "What?"  
  
"I won't be mad if you say yes."  
  
"How could you ask something like that?!" Kagome exploded. Tears rose in her eyes. "I was staying next to you night and day for almost a week, going crazy because I was afraid you were going to die right in front of me. And after all that, you think I care so little that I'd have to pretend? You thought I'd lie just because I wanted to make you feel better? Well, I didn't! I was scared for you and I meant every word I said! You IDIOT!"  
  
She lunged at him, and threw her arms around his chest. Inuyasha looked down at her, stunned and confused by her outburst. Then he slowly raised his arms to hold her.  
  
She sniffled into his shoulder, but didn't move. Inuyasha stroked her long hair, thinking of how she never moved away when he touched her. Ever since he had been a child, the sight of his clawed hands had frightened humans and demons. He could slash through almost anything with his fingers. When he was small, he had once been full of such anger about his half-demon-half-human heritage that he tried to slice off the tips of his claws. He had only succeeded in breaking a knife.  
  
But Kagome didn't flinch when he touched her with those hands, like almost all humans did. She trusted him enough for it not to matter.  
  
It was a strange feeling.  
  
"Were you really frightened... for me?" he asked haltingly.  
  
"Yersh," Kagome mumbled into his shoulder. Inuyasha was the worst hugger she had ever met, perhaps because of inexperience; he never knew what to do with his arms. But his hugs were so rare that they took her breath away.  
  
He let his cheek rest on the top of her head. "I was too," he mumbled. "But one thing I was glad of... was that you were near me. It didn't hurt so much. And I knew if I was gonna die, I wanted you there."  
  
Just hearing him say that made up for all the horrible days before. Kagome closed her eyes and listened to the strong heartbeat against her ear...  
  
"What are you three gawkin' at?" Inuyasha's voice suddenly shouted, startling Kagome. He was glaring over her head. Down the road, Miroku and Sango were standing silently, watching them embrace, with Shippo and Kirara peeking out of the bike basket.  
  
Kagome quickly disentangled herself. Inuyasha turned and quickly began walking again.  
  
Kagome smiled a little as she followed him. Well, I don't mind the tough-guy act so much now, she thought. Now, after all, she had gotten another glimpse of what was lying deep under the prickly surface.  
  
THE END 


End file.
